For me, Mother’s Day this year will look a lot like the days that have lead up to it. I might sleep in a little later, swap a hurried shower for a bath, get crazy with some pancake toppings, but I’ll be home with the kids.
Being with my kids for Mother’s Day is something I realize my own mom won’t be able to do. It’s been more than 6 weeks since she’s held my 11-month-old or hugged my 4-year-old, a stretch of time that feels especially strange since my parents live less than five minutes away from us.
Since social distancing at home, we’ve marked the passing of time in milestones: my baby mastering a floppy hand wave, pulling himself up to a standing position, and sprouting two top teeth that are only visible when he flashes the biggest smile; my 3-year-old becoming a 4-year-old, flying his first kite, and braving a big hill on his scooter.
My mom can’t be there to catch my 11-month-old when he topples over after growing too confident in his ability to stand or show my 4-year-old how to manipulate a kite string as it catches a breeze, but her physical distance didn’t stop her from teaching my baby to wave at the end of each video call or baking my 4-year-old a birthday cake to drop off at our doorstep.
To all the grandmas out there: we’re thinking about you this Mother’s Day and every day.
